Here’s a brief look at what’s going on in the Mile High City this week.

October 12:

• Catch the waxing crescent Hunter’s Moon near Venus and Mercury in the constellation Libra in the western sky just as the sun is setting around 6:15 PM
• Mercury reaches its greatest eastern elongation, appearing farthest east of the Sun from our vantage point on Earth.4:00 AM

October 13:

• Cosmic Collisions: How Black Hole Mergers Shape the Hearts of Galaxies with Dr. Jane Bright: Free, in-person event at Boulder Public Library Reynolds Branch: 5:45 PM
• The Moon reaches perihelion, its closest point to the Sun in Earth’s orbit around the Sun at 10:59 AM

October 14:

• Look for the waxing crescent Hunter’s Moon near Antares, the bright red giant alpha star in Scorpius low in the western sky around 7:15 PM
• Boulder Open Space Mountain Parks: Dark Skies & Deep Space: Pegasus & the Autumn Sky: Free, in-person event at Beach Shelter (registration required): 6:30 PM

October 15:

• Standley Lake Stargazing: Weekly Livestream: Free Online program via Zoom: 6:00PM

October 16:

• The waxing crescent Hunter’s Moon reaches apogee, its farthest distance from Earth at 404,643km at 5:00 PM
• CU Boulder Observatory Open House: Free, in-person event at Sommers-Bausch Observatory: 7:00PM
• Northern Colorado Astronomical Society: Starry Sky Soiree: Free, in-person event at Devil’s Backbone Open Space (registration required): 7:00 PM
• Berthoud Observatory Public Star Night: Free, in-person event at Little Thompson Observatory: 7:00 PM
• DAS Members In-Reach: How to Buy a Telescope 101: Free, in-person event for members only (Registration required): 7:00 PM

October 17:

• DAS Open House -Neptune! Saturn! Free, in-person event at Chamberlin Observatory: 6:45 PM

October 18:

• First quarter Hunter’s Moon: 10:12 AM

This Week’s Solar System Summary:

• The Sun shifts from rising about 7:07 AM to 7:13 AM, while sunset moves from 6:24 PM to 6:16 PM, continuing the steady shortening of daylight in October.
• The Moon rises in the late morning at the start of the week and shifts into the afternoon by the weekend, while moonset moves from around 7:10 PM to after midnight. The Moon reaches First Quarter on Sunday, October 18.
• Mercury reaches its greatest eastern elongation on October 12, placing it farthest east of the Sun in our sky during this evening apparition. It remains very low in the western sky after sunset and is challenging to see from Denver, but this is the best opportunity of the apparition to try.
• Venus remains extremely low in the western sky after sunset and is becoming increasingly difficult to see. Its brilliant brightness may help experienced observers spot it shortly after sunset with a completely unobstructed western horizon.
• Mars rises around 1:00 AM and is well placed in the eastern sky during the morning hours. It is moving through Cancer and recently passed through the Beehive Cluster, making binocular observing particularly interesting this month.
• Jupiter rises around 2:15 AM and is becoming an increasingly prominent target in the morning sky. It is bright and easy to spot in the eastern sky before sunrise.
• Saturn rises around 6:15 PM and remains visible throughout the night. Having reached opposition earlier this month, it is still near its best for telescopic observing, with its rings and brighter moons good targets.
• Uranus rises around 8:30 PM and remains above the horizon through the night and into the morning. It is well placed for binocular or telescope observing under dark skies.
• Neptune rises around 5:45 PM and remains visible through most of the night. It is still well placed following its September opposition, but its faint blue disk requires a telescope to see clearly.

This Week’s Meteoric Activity:

You can keep track of the activity of meteor showers as well as those beyond the limits of visual observing by visiting the NASA Meteor Shower Portal.

• Southern Taurids (STA): 2:00 AM near Aldebaran in Taurus: About 3 per hour. Peak October 14
• Orionids (ORI): 5:00 AM near Meissa in Orion: Less than 1 per hour
• October ξ-Eridanids (XIE): 5:00 AM in Eridanus: Less than 1 per hour. Peak October 11

Check Out These Helpful Guides from DAS:

• Where to Explore the 2026 Denver Night Skies 
• When to Explore the 2026 Denver Night Skies
• What to Explore in the 2026 Denver Night Skies

Sky Map

• A pdf map of the night sky can be found at https://www.skymaps.com/skymaps

Clear skies and happy stargazing!